At JFK Airport, Denying Basic Rights Is Just Another Day at the Office在JFK機場，無可否認的基本權利，只不過是另一天在辦公室
I was recently stopped by Homeland Security as I was returning from a trip to Syria.我最近也阻擋不住的國土安全部，正如我是留學回國訪問敘利亞。 What I saw in the hours that followed shocked and disturbed me.我所看到的在時間之後感到震驚和不安的我。
AlterNet | I arrived at JFK Airport two weeks ago after a short vacation to Syria and presented my American passport for re-entry to the United States. alternet |我到達JFK機場兩個星期前，經過短暫的假期，以敘利亞和介紹了我的美國護照，為重新進入美國。 After 28 hours of traveling, I had settled into a hazy awareness that this was the last, most familiar leg of a long journey.經過28小時的旅行，我已經解決了成為一個有煙霞的認識，這是最後，最熟悉的一站一漫長的旅途。 I exchanged friendly words with the Homeland Security official who was recording my name in his computer. i交換了友好的話，與國土安全部官員誰是錄音以本人名義在他的電腦。 He scrolled through my passport, and when his thumb rested on my Syrian visa, he paused.他滾過通過我的護照，當他的拇指休息，對我的敘利亞的簽證，他已暫停。 Jerking toward the door of his glass-enclosed booth, he slid my passport into a dingy green plastic folder and walked down the hallway, motioning for me to follow with a flick of his wrist. jerking對他的大門玻璃封閉的展台，他滑向我的護照成為一個dingy綠色塑料文件夾，並走下走廊， motioning ，我跟隨一個彈簧刀他的手腕。 Where was he taking me, I asked him.那裡是他考慮的話，我問他。 “You’ll find out,” he said. “你會發現， ”他說。
We got to an enclosed holding area in the arrivals section of the airport.我們到了一個封閉的地區舉行，在來港定居人士的一段機場。 He shoved the folder into my hand and gestured toward four sets of Homeland Security guards sitting at large desks.他被推下的文件夾到我的手和gestured對四套國土安全警衛坐在大書桌。 Attached to each desk were metal poles capped with red, white and blue siren lights.重視每一台被金屬極上限與紅色，白色和藍色警報燈。 I approached two guards carrying weapons and wearing uniforms similar to New York City police officers, but they shook their heads, laughed and said, “Over there,” pointing in the direction of four overflowing holding pens. i接近兩名警衛攜帶武器和穿制服類似紐約市警務人員，但他們搖搖頭，笑著說， “在那裡， ”在指向的方向，四溢流舉行筆。 I approached different desks until I found an official who nodded and shoved my green folder in a crowded metal file holder. i接觸不同的書桌，直到我發現一位官員誰點頭，並被推我的綠色文件夾在擁擠的金屬文件的持有人。 When I asked him why I was there, he glared at me, took a sip from his water bottle, bit into a sandwich, and began to dig between his molars with his forefinger.當我問他為什麼，我在那裡，他glared我，採取了SIP的從他的水壺，有點成為一個夾心，並開始挖他的磨牙與他的食指。 I found a seat next to a man who looked about my age — in his late 20s — and waited.我發現隔壁座位的一名男子誰看過我的年齡-他在3 0歲-和等待。
Omar (not his real name) finished his fifth year in biomedical engineering at City College in June.奧馬爾（不是他的真實姓名）完成他的第五個年頭，在生物醫學工程，在城市學院在6月。 He had just arrived from Beirut, where he visited his family and was waiting to go home to the apartment he shared with his brother in Harlem.他剛剛從貝魯特抵達，他在那裡參觀了他的家人和正在等待回家的公寓，他同意與他的兄弟在哈萊姆。 Despite his near-perfect English and designer jeans, Omar looked scared.儘管他近乎完美的英語和設計師牛仔褲，奧馬爾期待害怕。 He rubbed his hands and rocked softly in his seat.他揉他的手和震撼悄悄在他的座位。 He had been waiting for hours already, and, as he pointed out, a number of people — some sick, elderly, pregnant or holding sobbing babies — had too.他一直在等待時，已經，並且正如他指出，有一些人-一些病人，老人，懷孕或控股哭泣的嬰兒-過。 There were approximately 70 people detained in our cordoned-off section: All were Arab (with the exception of me and the friend I traveled with), and almost all had arrived from Dubai, Amman or Damascus.有大約70人被拘留在我們的封鎖小康條：所有被阿拉伯（除了我和朋友走過與i ） ，以及幾乎所有已運抵從迪拜，安曼或大馬士革。 Many were US citizens.許多人的美國公民。
We were in the front row, sitting a few feet from two guards’ desks.我們在前排，坐在幾英尺，由兩名警衛書桌。 They sneered at each bewildered arrival, told jokes in whispers, swiveled in their office chairs and greeted passing guards who stopped to talk — guards who had a habit of looping their fingers into their holsters.他們嘲笑在每一個莫名其妙的到來，說笑話，在竊竊私語， swiveled在他們的辦公椅和迎接通過警衛誰停下來對話-警衛誰了習慣，縫盤，他們的手指到他們的手槍套。 One asked his friend how many nationalities were represented in the room.一問他的朋友有多少民族派代表出席了在會議室。 “About 20. “ 20人左右。 Some of everything today.”一些今天的一切“ 。
No one who had been detained knew precisely why they were there.沒有人誰已被拘留知道，正因如此，他們有。 A few people were led into private rooms; others were questioned out in the open at desks a few feet from the crowd and then allowed to pass through customs.極少數人被帶往到單人房;等人質疑，指出在開放在課桌幾英尺，從人群，然後允許通過海關。 Some were sent to another section of the holding area with large computer screens and cameras, and then brought back.一些被送往另一部分地區舉行大型電腦屏幕及相機，然後帶回。 The uninformed consensus among the detainees was that some people would be fingerprinted, have their irises scanned and be sent back to the countries from which they had disembarked, regardless of citizenship status; others would be fingerprinted and allowed to stay; and the unlucky ones would be detained indefinitely and moved to a more permanent facility.在不知情的共識，被拘留者的是，有些人會被採指紋，他們的虹膜掃描和被送回的國家，從他們下船，不論公民身份;他人將捺指印，並獲准逗留;不幸的會被拘留無限期轉移到了一個更永久設施。
There was one British tourist in the group.有一位英國遊客在該組。 Paul (also not his real name) was traveling with three friends who had passed through customs soon after their plane landed and were waiting for him on the other side of the metal barrier; he suspected he had been detained because of his dark skin.保羅（也並非他的真實姓名）是旅行與三位朋友誰已通過海關後不久，他們的飛機降落，並等待他對另一邊的金屬屏障;他懷疑他已被拘留，因為他的黑暗的皮膚。 When he asked if he could go to the bathroom, one of the guards said, “I wouldn’t.” “What if someone has to?” I asked.當他問他是否可以去洗手間，其中一個警衛說： “我不會” ， “什麼，如果有人要嗎？ ”我問。 “They will just have to hold it,” the guard responded with a smile. “他們將只舉行， ”看守回應以微笑。 Paul began to cry.保羅開始傷心地哭了。 I watched as he, over the course of four hours, went from feeling exuberant about his trip to New York to despising the entire country.我看了他，超過的過程中了4個小時，從感覺旺盛的關於他此行到紐約，輕視整個國家。 “I speak the Queen’s English,” he said to me. “我發言的皇后英語， ”他對我說。 “I’m third-generation British. “我的第三代英。 I came to America because I’ve always wanted to come here, and now they’ve got me so scared that all I want to do is go home.我來到美國，因為我總是要來這裡，現在他們讓我這麼害怕，所有我想要做的是回家。 We’re paying for your stupid war anyway.”我們正在付出代價您愚蠢的戰爭，無論如何“ 。
To be powerless and mocked at the same time makes one feel ashamed, which leads quickly to rage.以無能為力和嘲笑在同一時間，使一感到羞愧，從而導致迅速肆虐。 Within a few hours of my arrival, I saw at least 10 people denied the right to use the bathroom or buy food and water.在幾個小時我的到來，我看到了至少10人否認使用權，浴室或購買食物和水。 I watched my traveling companion duck under a barrier, run to the bathroom and slip back into the holding section — which, of course, someone of another ethnicity in a state of panic would be very reluctant to do.我看了我的旅行同伴鴨下一個障礙，運行到浴室和重新陷入舉行的第-這，當然，有人另一種族在一個國家的恐慌將是非常不願意這樣做。 The United States is good at naming enemies, but apparently we are even better at making them, especially of individuals.美國是好的，在命名的敵人，但顯然我們甚至更好地使它們，特別是個人。 I don’t know if it’s worse for national security — and more embarrassing for Americans — that this is the first experience tourists have of our country, or that some US citizens get treated this way upon entering their own country.我不知道，如果它更糟糕的國家安全-和更加尷尬的美國人-這是第一次的經驗，遊客已經對我們的國家，或一些美國公民得到這樣的待遇後，進入自己的國家。
The guard who had been picking his molars for hours quietly mispronounced the names of people whose turn it was to be questioned, muttering each surname three times and then moving on.警衛誰已採摘他的磨牙小時悄悄mispronounced姓名的人把它是要受到質疑， muttering每個姓氏的3倍，然後在前進。 When he called Omar from City College to his desk, I moved closer to hear the interview.當他呼籲奧馬爾從城市學院，以他的辦公桌，我謹動議密切聽到的採訪。 “Where did you go?” the officer asked. “您從哪兒去？ ”主任問。 “What is your address in the United States? “什麼是您的地址在美國的呢？ Is your brother here illegally?是你的兄弟在這裡非法？ Do you support Hezbollah?你是否支持真主黨？ What do you think of Hezbollah in general?您怎麼看真主黨在一般呢？ How do you pay for your life here?你如何支付你的生活在這裡出現？ How many people live with you?有多少人與你的生活？ Are you sure it’s just you and your brother?您確定這只是你和你的兄弟？ Who are your friends?” Omar answered respectfully and emphatically; he was then asked to wait by the side of the desk, from which he was ushered toward one of the rooms.誰是你的朋友“ ？奧馬爾回答恭敬地並強調，他當時問要等待由一方的服務台，從他迎來了對一的房間。
After four hours, I finally demanded to speak to the guards’ supervisor, and he was called down.後4個小時，最後，我要求發言，向看守主管，他被稱為下來。 I asked if the detainees could file a formal complaint.我問，如果被拘留者可以提交一份正式投訴。 He said there were complaint forms (which, in English and Spanish, direct one to the Department of Homeland Security’s Web site, where one must enter extensive personal information in order to file a “Trip Summary”) but initially refused to hand them out or to give me his telephone number.他說，有投訴表格（其中，英語和西班牙語，直接一到國土安全部的網站上，其中一人必須輸入廣泛的個人信息，以便為檔案“之旅概要” ） ，但最初拒絕交出他們列或給我他的電話號碼。 “The Department of Homeland Security is understaffed, underfunded, and I have men here who are doing 14-hour days.” He tried to intimidate me when I wrote down his name — “So, you’re writing down our names. “國土安全部是人員不足，經費不足，和我有男子在這裡誰是做14小時的天” ，他試圖恐嚇我，當我寫下他的名字-“那麼，您寫下來，我們的名字。 Well, we have more on you” — and asked me questions about my address and my profession in front of the rest of the people detained.那麼，我們有更多的對你“ -問我的問題我的地址和我的專業在前面其餘的人被拘留。 I pointed out a few of the families who had missed their flights and had been waiting seven hours.我曾指出，少數的家庭誰已錯過航班，並已等待了七個多小時。 His voice barely controlled, his lip curled into a smirk, he explained slowly, condescendingly, that they need only go to the ticket counter at Jet Blue and reschedule so they could fly out in an hour.他的聲音幾乎沒有控制，他的唇捲曲成為一個smirk ，他解釋，慢慢地， condescendingly ，他們只需要到票務櫃檯射流藍色和重新安排，以便他們能飛，在一個多小時。 One mother responded with what he must have already known: Jet Blue goes to most destinations only once or twice a day and her whole family would have to sleep in the airport.一位媽媽的反應是什麼，他必須已經知道：噴氣藍去最目的地只有一次或兩次，每天和她的全家都睡在機場迎接。
A large crowd began to gather.一大群人開始聚集之處。 Everyone wanted to voice complaints.每個人都想要的聲音，投訴。 I explained to the supervisor that his guards had been making people afraid.我已解釋，以校監，他的警衛已使人們害怕。 He flipped through the green files, tossing the American passports to the front of the pile.他翻轉通過綠色檔案，折騰美國護照的前端，樁。 “You should have gone first, before these people. “你應該有經歷了第一，之前這些人。 American citizens first — that’s how it should be.” In the face of dozens of requests and questions, he turned and left.美國公民的第一-這應如何“ ，在面對幾十個要求和問題，他拒絕離開。
The guards processed me then, ignoring the order of arrivals, if there ever had been one.看守人員處理我，然後，不顧秩序來港定居人士，如果有以往任何時候都已經一。 They refused to distribute more complaint forms or call the supervisor back down at the request of Arab families.他們拒絕發給更多的投訴表格，或致電監回落時，應請求阿拉伯家庭。 One officer threatened, “I’m talking politely to you now.一名官員的威脅， “我所說的禮貌，以你現在。 If you don’t sit down, I won’t be talking politely to you anymore.” One announced that because “the American girl” had gotten angry, the families would have to wait a few more hours.如果你不坐下來，我不會談論禮貌地向你了。 “一宣布，因為”美國女孩“已得到了憤怒，家屬將要等待數個小時。 “The supervisor is not coming back.” “監不回來” 。
I reassured my Homeland Security interrogator that I did not make any connections with Hezbollah or with anyone I knew to be associated with such an organization. i放心，我的國土安全部審訊，我沒有做任何的聯繫與真主黨或與任何人，我知道要與之關聯的這樣一個組織。 I am not a member of any terrorist group.我不是一個會員的任何恐怖集團。 In fact, my visit to Syria had been so apolitical and touristy that I felt an embarrassing affinity with the pastel-shirted families waiting by the Air France baggage carousels in the distance, whom I knew I would eventually join.其實，我的訪問敘利亞已使非政治化和旅遊，我認為，一個尷尬的親和力與粉彩- shirted家庭輪候由法國航空行李carousels在距離，其中我知道我最終會加入。
As I walked out of the enclosure, some people thanked me, squeezing my arm and putting their hands on my shoulders.正如我走出圍牆，有些人感謝我，擠壓我的胳膊，把他們的手放在我的肩上。 It was shocking that briefly standing up to someone overseeing an abuse of civil rights — in JFK airport, in the United States, where we supposedly have laws and a democratic judicial system — could be perceived as heroic.這是令人震驚的是，簡單地站起來要有人監督一個濫用民事權利-在J FK機場，在美國，我們理應有法律和民主的司法系統-可視為英雄。 I had nothing to lose, but the other people being detained had everything to lose.我有什麼可失去的，但其他人仍被扣留了一切，失去了。
In the past five years I have worked for human rights and refugee advocacy organizations in Serbia, Russia and Croatia, including the International Rescue Committee and USAID.在過去5年，我已工作了人權和難民倡導組織在塞爾維亞，俄羅斯和克羅地亞，包括國際救援委員會和美國國際開發署。 I have traveled to many different places, some supposedly repressive, and have never seen people treated with the kind of animosity that Homeland Security showed that night.我曾前往許多不同的地點，一些理應鎮壓，還從來沒見過的人的待遇與種敵意認為，國土安全部表明，夜間。 In Syria, border control officers were stern but polite.在敘利亞，邊境管制人員的嚴峻，但有禮貌。 At other borders there have been bureaucracies to contend with — excruciating for both Americans and other foreign nationals.在其他的邊界有官僚與-的痛苦，為美國人和其他外國國民。 I’ve met Russian officials with dead, suspicious looks in their eyes and arms tired from stamping so many visas, but in America, the Homeland Security officials I encountered were very much alive — like vultures waiting to eat.我已經會見了俄羅斯官員與死亡，可疑的期待，在他們眼中和軍備控制累了，從沖壓這麼多的簽證，但在美國，國土安全部官員我遇到非常活著-像v ultures等待吃。
Have Your Say: At JFK Airport, Denying Basic Rights Is Just Another Day at the Office 你說：在JFK機場，無可否認的基本權利，只不過是另一天在辦公室
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